FR2535058A1 - DEVICE FOR DETECTING AND QUANTIFYING AGGLUCTINATES - Google Patents

Abstract

DEVICE FOR DETECTION AND QUANTIFICATION OF AGGLUTINATES. ACCORDING TO THE INVENTION, THE REACTIONS TAKE PLACE IN CELLS OF A TRANSPARENT DISC 12 AND THE AXIS OF DISC 12 MAY MOVE ORTHOGONALLY TO AN OBSERVATION DEVICE 36. IMMUNOHEMATOLOGY.

Description

The present invention relates to a device for the de-

  detection and quantification of agglutinates which may be formed by the action of at least one reagent by

  particles suspended in a liquid.

  It can be used every time we have to detect and quantify agglutinates. However, it is particularly applicable in immunohematology,

  in particular with a view to the determination of the

  It is known that the determination of blood groups is linked to the search for existence in the

  erythrocyte antigen blood

  in the presence of a specific group antigen,

  result in a phenomenon of agglutination of haema-

  if they belong to another group.

  These red blood cells can form either uniform agglutinates

  without free red cells, a few large agglutin-

  or a large number of small agglutiners

  nats. Although the present invention is not limited in

  its applications to immunohematology, it will be de-

  here below, more particularly in relation to

this particular application.

  According to the invention, the device for the detection and quantification, in containers of which at least the bottoms are transparent, agglutinates susceptible

  to be formed under the action of at least one reagent

  quide, by particles suspended in doses

  test liquids in said containers

  pients, device comprising a linear arrangement of a plurality N of photosensitive elements observing by transparency the bottoms of said containers containing the possible agglutinates by scanning said funds

  said containers, so as to form N x m points of ob-

  distributed on a rectangular or square surface occupying the greater part of the surface of the

  bottom of each container, said containers being

  staggered cells distributed along radii of a transparent horizontal disk rotatable about its vertical axis, is remarkable in that an oscillating arm rotating about a vertical axis and provided with means of

  collection and return of liquid doses is

  seen to take such doses in tanks to

  reagents and liquids to test and bring them into the-

  said cells of the rotating disk, in that said

  linear element of photosensitive elements is arranged fixed station orthogonally to a diameter of the transparent disk and in that the axis of rotation of the disk is

  mounted in translation orthogonally to said

  linear cement of photosensitive elements.

  Thus, by means of its means of sampling and delivering liquid doses, which can by

  example of syringes, the oscillating arm can

  troduce in each cell of the rotating disk a li-

  test and the corresponding reagent After reaction

  each cell is examined by the arrangement of ele-

  photosensitive during the translation of the axis of the disk, translation whose amplitude is sufficient

  so that all the cells of a radius of the disk are ob-

served, everyone in m not.

  Advantageously, the oscillating arm carries as many means of sampling and restitution as a radius of

  disc has alveoli so that the arm oscillates

  lant loads all the cells of a radius at one time. In an advantageous embodiment, the arrangement

  of photosensitive elements is arranged orthogonally

  nally to the vertical plane passing through the vertical axes of the transparent disk and the oscillating arm, on the side of the axis of the disk opposite to said oscillating arm, so that the disk must rotate 1800 so that a radius-of alveoli loaded in liquid doses to

  test and reagent may be read by the said

  is lying. Preferably, the reagent reservoirs are arranged in a stationary position on one side of the vertical plane defined by the vertical axes of the oscillating arm and the disk, whereas the liquid tanks to be tested are associated with

  means of transport advancing them step by step, parallel

  this vertical plane, but on the opposite side from

reagent reservoirs.

  The arrangement of photosensitive elements may be of the type

  eg load-coupled diode array, commonly referred to as CCD, DTC or CCPD

  the invention, in which a recessed bar is used.

  of N load-coupled devices, one obtains

  serve, for the detection of possible agglutinais and during the relative movement of each transparent bottom of the container m m spaced and parallel positions of said bar, so as to form N xm observation points distributed in a rectangular or square surface occupying the most of the surface of said bottom Of course, we can choose N equal to m and

  to ensure that the gap between two observer positions

  the bar is equal to the difference between two CCD devices in the bar.

  completely covers a square surface of the transparent

  For example, the linear array comprises 256 CCD photodiodes, each having a definition of

  l m, the video information being digitized in 256 ni-

  calves of gray, and the analyzed image represents a square

  centered on said transparent background and formed by 256

  layings spread by 25 me thus obtained, for the observation of agglutinates and

  for each container, N x m measures, divided into m

layings of N points.

  the figures of the annexed drawing will make it

  the invention can be realized.

  FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view, partially cut away, of an installation with a device

according to the invention.

  FIG. 2 is a simplified top view of the device

tif according to the invention.

  Figure 3 is a top view of a disk with cells

  used in the device according to the invention.

  FIG. 4 is a section along line IV-IV of FIG.

gure 3.

  Figure 5 shows in perspective a sample holder

  for the device according to the invention.

  Figures 6 and 7 are sections respectively according to

  lines VI-VI and VII-VII of figure 2.

  Figure 8 schematically illustrates the process of

reading agglutinais.

  In these figures, identical references designate

identical elements.

  The facility for the recognition of

  guins, shown in Figure 1, comprises a device 1 accordingl'invention for the detection and quantification of agglutinates, associated with a display device 2, a control device 3 and a printing device 4 L'ensemble of the installation is piloted

  by a microprocessor (not shown) according to a process

not described below.

  As also shown in Figure 2, the device 1 according to the invention comprises a horizontal oscillating arm capable of rotating about a vertical axis 6 The arm 5 carries a plurality of vertical syringes 7, whose pistons can be actuated to suck or to repress a liquid When the arm 5 oscillates around

  the vertical axis 6, the syringes 7 scan an annulus

nular 8.

  In this annular zone 8 are provided reactive containers 9 in each of which the vertical syringes 7 can take a reagent and a rinsing container 10. In addition, the device 1 comprises a vertical axis 11 capable of rotating a disk 12 of

  transparent material in which

  For example, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the disc 12 has an upper disc 14 and a lower disc 15 superimposed and assembled for example by gluing The discs 14 and 15 are made of a transparent synthetic material and are provided with center of holes 16 to allow the passage of the rotary shaft

  11 when the disks 1 and 2 are super-

laid and secured -

  the upper disk 14 is provided with a plurality of through holes 17 whose axes 22 orthogonal to the plane of the disk 14 are distributed in a plurality of points 18 situated at the intersection of radii 19 and concentric circles 20 Moreover, each hole

17 is flared up.

  For the sake of clarity of the drawing, in FIG.

  some holes 17 were represented.

  The lower transparent disk 15 has a plurality of

  blind holes 21 whose axes 23 are distributed in a plurality of points located at the intersection of concentric rays and circles and are offset with respect to the axes 22 The blind holes 21 are, in the lower disk 15, extended in hole direction

  17, by a communication hole 24 with a flat bottom, suffi

  lengthened so that the top edge of the enton-

  black 17 is outside the container 21, or at least gives off on the bottom thereof a field of view 25 substantially covering the largest part

said background.

  The annular scanning zone 8 of the syringes 7 intersects the disc 12 so that it is possible to fill all the cells 13 (or container 13) arranged on a spoke

  19 of the disc 12, in doses of reagents from the

  9 by inserting syringe needles 7

  in the corresponding funnels 17, the working fluid

  then pouring holes 17 and 24 to reach until

  blind hole 21 In the same way, it is possible to

  troduce in the containers 13 doses of liquids

  from reservoirs 26 in zone 8.

  When agitation or centrifugation is required

  it is sufficient to submit disk 12 to this movement.

  and, since the holes 21 are closed by the disc 14 there is no risk that the liquid contained in the

  containers 13 escapes to the outside.

  The reservoirs 26 are constituted (see FIG.

  transparent blocks 27 releasably carrying

  28 which contain blood samples from

  donors and in which, if appropriate, recesses 29 containing dilutions of

liquids of said tubes.

  The tanks 26 are introduced into the device 1 by a conveyor 30 which passes them successively to different processing stations 31, 32 and 33, before

  bring them to the post 34 where the syringes 7 of the arm 5 can

  take the liquid they contain.

  Thus, each cell 13 of the disk 12 can serve as a reaction vessel between a liquid coming from a

  reservoir 26 and a reagent from a reservoir 9.

  To examine the result of the agglutination that may result, the device 1 comprises a bar 35 of CCD diodes, disposed under the disc 12 opposite a

  lighting device 36 The bar 35 and the device

  lights 36 are opposed to the arm 5 relative to

  the axis 11 and the bar 35 is orthogonal to the vertical plane

defined by axes 6 and 11.

  The bar 35 examines by transparency the bottom 25 of each cell 13 according to m observations each shifted by one step so that all the cells 13 of a spoke 19 of the disk 12 can be examined each in m, the axis

  11 of said disk is made mobile in horizontal translation

  tale, orthogonally to said bar 35.

  For this purpose, Figures 6 and 7 show that axis 11 of the

  12 is secured to a carriage 37 movable by

  port to the base plate 38 of the device This carriage 37 comprises a frame 39 carrying a motor 40 and a sliding bearing 41 for the shaft 11 The output shaft of the motor 40 enters 4 rotates a pulley 42 which is connected to a pulley 43 wedged on the axis 11, via a

  toothed belt 44 The carriage 37 is guided in transla-

  by a rail 45 and moves under the action of a jack 46, the rod 47 is connected to the carriage 37 by

a rod 48.

  Thus, the shaft 11 can slide in a slot 49, of the base plate 38, parallel to the rail 45 and orthogonal to

the bar 35 of CCD diodes.

  The carriage 37 may also carry a vibrator 49 intended to animate episodically, against the action of a

  spring 50, the axis 11 of a parallel reciprocating movement

  on its axis, in order to possibly

  of content in the cells 13 of the disk 12.

  When the cells 131 to 13p of the spoke 19 lying in the plane defined by the axes 6 and 11 are to be read by the arrangement 35 for detecting and quantifying the agglutinations (see Fig. 8), the disc 12 is advanced by the cylinder 46 in the direction of the arrow F 1 so that the arrangement 35 is in line with the outer limit 51 of the field 25 of the bottom of the first cell 131 Then, step by step the cylinder is moved m times for the N When the reading of the field 25 of the cell 131 is completed, the cylinder 46 moves the axis 11, always in the direction F 1, so that the limit external 52 of the field 25 of the bottom of the second cell 132 comes into alignment with the photosensitive elements of the arrangement 35 This second cell 132 is read identically and the process continues until the complete reading of the cell 13 p . After this, the cylinder 46 returns the axis 11 in its

initial position (arrow F 2).

Claims (9)

  1. Device for the detection and quantification, in containers (13) of which at least the bottoms (25) are transparent, agglutinates capable of being formed, under the action of at least one liquid reagent, by particles in suspension in doses of test liquids in said containers, device comprising a linear arrangement (35) of a plurality n of photosensitive elements observing by transparency the bottoms (25) of said containers (13) containing the   agglutinates by sweeping the said funds from the   containers to form N x m observation points   distributed according to a rectangular or square   most of the bottom surface of each   container, said receptacles consisting of   voles (13) distributed along radii 19 of a transparent horizontal disc (12) rotatable about its vertical axis 11, characterized in that:   an oscillating arm (5) rotating about a vertical axis   cal (6) and provided with means (7) for taking and delivering liquid doses, is provided for taking such doses in reagent reservoirs (9) and   test liquids (26) and bring them into said cellular   the (13) of the transparent disk (12); said linear arrangement of photosensitive elements   (35) is arranged horizontally at an orthogonal fixed station   to a diameter of the disk (12); and   the axis of rotation (11) of the disc (12) is movably mounted   the translation orthogonally to said arrangement (35) photosensitive elements.   2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the oscillating arm (5) carries as many means (7) of sampling and restitution that   radius (19) of the disk (12) comprises cells (13).   3 Device according to claim 1,   characterized in that the linear arrangement (35) of ele-   photosensitive materials is arranged orthogonally to the vertical plane passing through the vertical axes (11) of the disk (12) and (6) of the oscillating arm (5), on the side of the axis (11)   disc (12) opposite said oscillating arm (5).   Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the reagent reservoirs (9) are arranged in a stationary position on one side of the vertical plane defined by the vertical axes (6 and 11) of the oscillating arm (5).   and the disc (12, while the sampling locations   (34) of the liquid tanks (26) to be tested   are disposed on the other side of said vertical plane.   5. Device according to claim 4, characterized in that the tanks (26) containing the test liquids are movable and brought to the location   sampling (34) by a carrier.   6. Device according to any one of the claims 1 to 5,   characterized in that the arrangement (35) of pixel elements   tosensibles is a CCD diode array.   7. Device characterized in solidarity with a rail along the drive 8. Device characterized in cylinder 9. Device characterized in according to claim 1, that the axis (11) of the disk (12) is carriage (37), slidably movable (45) and carrying a motor (40) for in rotation of said axis (11).   according to claim 7, that the carriage (37) is driven by a according to claim 7, that the axis (11) of the disc (12) is mounted in a sliding bearing integral with the carriage (37) and that a vibrator (49) can vibrate the axis (11) longitudinally.